Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-06-15

LIN "0DA Il > -
ance OF soldiers wife he would send down.
ADear me-" said Mrs Neville, "that l. very
awkward"
1t will be awkwarder if you try to move
him at present" was the grim reply, "for the
silk may slip, in which case the artery will
probably break out again, and he will bleed
todeath"
As for Jess, she said nothing, but set to
work to make preparations for her task Of
nursing. As fate had once more thrown
them together, she accepted the position
gladly, though it is only fair TO say that she
would not have sought it.
In about an hours time, just as John was
beginning to recover from the painful effects
Of the chloroform, the soldiers wife who was
toassist her in nursing arrived. She was, rs
jess soon discovered, not only low stamp of
woman, bnt both careless and ignorant into
tbs bargain, and all that she could be relied
onto do was to carry out some Of the rougher
work Of the sick room. When John woke up
and discovered whose was the presence that
was bending over him and whose the cool
ha4d that lay upon his forehead, he groaned
agSin and went to sleep. But Jess did not go
toAeep. She sat by him there throughout
thanight until at last the cold lights Of the
dawn came cleaning through the window
and fell upon the white face of the man she
loved He was still sleeping soundly, and, as
thG hit was exceedingly hot and oppressive,
she had left nothing but q sheet over him.
Before she went to rest little herself she
turned to look ut him once more, and as she
did so saw the sheet suddenly grow red with
blood. The artery had broken out again.
Calling to the soldiers wife to run across
to the doctor, Jess shook her patient until lie
woke, for he was sleeping sweetly through
the whole thing; and would, no doubt, have
continued to do SO until he glided into u
deeper sleep; and then between them they did
what they could to quench that dreadful
pumping flow, jess knotting her handker-
chief round his leg and twisting it with a
stick, while he pressed his thumb upon the
severed artery. But strive as they would
they were only partially successful, and Jess
began to think that he would die in her arms
from loss OF blood. 1t was agonizing to wait
there minute after minute and see his life
ebbing away
u don't think shall last much longer,
Jess. God bless you, dear" he said. "The
place Is beginning to 60 round and round"
Poor soul, she could only shut her teeth
and wait for the end.
Presently Johns pressure on the wounded
artery relaxed, and he tainted off, and oddly
enough, just then the flow Of blood diminished
considerably. Another five minutes, and she
heard the quick step of the doctor coming up
the path.
aThank God you have come! He has bled
dreadfully."
II was out attending poor fellow who
was shot through the lung, and that fool of a
woman waited for me to come back, instead
of following. have brought you al orderly
instead Of her. By Jove, lie las bled! sup
pose the silk has slipped. Well, there is only
one thing for it, Orderly, the chloroform. u
And then followed another long half hour
of slashing and tying and horror, and when
at last the unfortunate John opened his eyes
again lie was too weak to speak, and could
only smile feebly. For three days after this
he was in dangerous state, for if the artery
had broken out for the third time the chances
were that, having so little blood left in his
veins, he would die before anything could be
done for him. At times he was very delirious
from weakness, and these were the dangerous
hours, for it was almost impossible to keep
him quiet, and every movement threw jess
into all agony Of terror lest the silk fastenings
Of the artery should break away. Indeed,
there was only one way III which she could
keep him quiet, and that was by laying her
slim white hand upon his forehead or giving
it to him to hold. Oddly enough, this had
more effect upon his fevered mind than any
thing else. For hour after hour she would
sit thus, though her arm ached and her back
felt as II it were going to break in two, until
ut last she was rewarded by seeing his wild
eyes cease their wanderings and close in
| peHeful sleep. r. s
Yet with it oil that week was perhaps the
happiest time in her life. There he lay, the man
she loved with all the intensity of her deep
nature; and she niniStered to him, and felt
that he loved her, and depended OH her as q
babe upon its mother. Even in his delirium
her name was continually OH his lips, and
generally with some endearing term before
it, She felt in those dark hours of doubt and
sickness US though they two were growing life
to life, knit up i'll q divine ilentity she could
not amalyze or understand She felt that it
was so, and she believed that, once being so,
whatever her future might be, that COM
munion could never be dissolved, and there.
fore was she happy, though she knew tEat his
recovery meant their lifelong separation. For
though jess had once, when thrown utterly
Off her balance, given her passion sway, it WIS
not thing she meant to repeat. She had, she
felt injured Bessie enough already in taking
her future husbands heart That she could
not help now, but she would take no more.
John should 60 back to her sister.
And so she sat and gazed at that sleeping
man through the long watches Of the night
and was happy. There lay her joy. Soon he
would be taken from her and she would be
left dcsolate, but while he lay there lie was
hers it was passing sweet to her wonans
heart to lay her hand upon him and see him
sleep, for this desire to watch the sleep of q
beloved object is one Of the highest and
strangest manifestations Of passion. Truly,
and with keen insight into the human heart,
has the poet said that there is no JOY like the
10Y of woman watching what she loves
asleep.
The time went OIL and the artery broke out
no more, and then ut last came morning
when John opened his eyes and watched the
pale, earnest face bending over him Us though
lie were trying to remember something Pres
emily lie shut his eyes again. He had rcmem-
bered.
81 have been very ill, Jess," he said, after q
pause.
ayes, John"
"And you have nursel me-"
ayes, John.'
"Am going to recoverT
"Of course you are."
He shut his eyes again.
u suppose there is 10 news from outsider
"No more; things are just the same "
"Nor from BessieF'
"None; we are quite cut off,"
Then came pause.
"John," said jess, II want to say something
to YOU When people are dclirious, or when
delirium is coming OH, they sometimes say
things that they are not responsible for, and
which had better be forgotten"
"Yes," lie said; II understand"
49," she went on, in the same measured
tone, 1--WE will forget everything you may
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